Cycle wine tourism@Montlouis

Autumn colours in Montlouis

Montlouis saw the visit of Marie-Madeleine Mialot, the vice-présidente of Conseil Régional du Centre. Her brief is the economy and employment. The Loire à vélo (www.loire-a-velo.fr)* cycle route leaves the Loire just east of Tours to pass through the town of Montlouis, skirting the hamlets of Huseau, Lussault and Chandon before rejoining the banks of the Loire at Amboise. The Conseil Regional provided 60% of the 340,000€ to improve producers' visitor facilities and to attract new producers into AC Montlouis. This has been particularly successful with five new producers starting here since 2005. All this has helped to make Montlouis one of the Loire’s most dynamic appellations.

François Chidaine

Mialot was in Montlouis to discuss the new programme and meet the people running the Montlouis syndicat, headed by François Chidaine, and the people running the cave co-operative. The new plan will be discussed in Orléans in April. Mialot highlighted the Sauvignon Blanc project but also said that producers in every appellation could benefit from support offered by the region whether it covered selling and marketing, improvements in quality such as a more organic approach, or for wine tourism.

Full report in today’s La Nouvelle République.

* Loire à vélo has 800 kilometres of cycling routes starting from Sancerre and ending in Saint-Brevins-les-Pins on the Atlantic Coast.

After the excruciating debate of the last few months over wine and the internet, it is great to come across a part of the French government, that recognises the role played by viticulture in France and is prepared to offer financial assistance.